Video camera system having remote commander

• US 20040051788A1
• Filed: 09/15/2003
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hiroki Oka, Osamu Sakurai, Shigeya Yasui, Tetsu Sumii, Toshiyuki Hisatsune
• Original Assignee: Hiroki Oka, Osamu Sakurai, Shigeya Yasui, Tetsu Sumii, Toshiyuki Hisatsune
• Inventors: Sumii, Tetsu, Yasui, Shigeya, Oka, Hiroki, Sakurai, Osamu, Hisatsune, Toshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,545,410 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/211.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/53 of electronic viewfinders, e.g. rotatable or detachable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects

Abstract

An image pickup system that is small in scale, handy to maneuver, easy to operate and advanced in editing capabilities is disclosed. A commander device is used both as a remote commander and as a microphone in operating a video camera for image pickup. Wearing a headset on the head, a user looks at images appearing on a headset display to monitor and verify recorded images without recourse to a view finder of the video camera. Functions of the components making up the system are changed by operation of a mode switch attached to the video camera.

Claims

1. An image pickup system comprising a commander, a video camera and a display device;

wherein said commander includes;

a microphone for obtaining an audio signal;

command information storing means for storing a plurality of kinds of command information;

command information generating means for generating a plurality of kinds of command information which correspond to a plurality of different operations performed by a user, the generation of the command information being carried out on the basis of said plurality of kinds of command information which are stored in said command information storing means; and

transmitting means for transmitting said audio signal and said command information as transmitted information;

wherein said video camera includes;

image pickup means for obtaining an image pickup signal by imaging an object;

receiving means for receiving said transmitted information;

recording and reproducing means for recording and reproducing said image pickup signal to and from a recording medium;

image information storing means for storing a plurality of kinds of image information;

display-ready video signal generating means for generating a display-ready video signal based on the image pickup signal reproduced from said recording medium by said recording and reproducing means and said image information;

transmitting means for transmitting said display-ready video signal;

controlling means for controlling said image pickup means, said recording and reproducing means and said display-ready video signal generating means in accordance with any one of a plurality of operation modes; and

an operation mode setting switch for setting one of said plurality of operation modes; and

wherein said display device includes;

receiving means for receiving said display-ready video signal transmitted from said transmitting means of said video camera; and

displaying means for displaying an image represented by the received display-ready video signal.

2. An image pickup system according to claim 1, wherein said video camera and said display device are separate entities.

3. An image pickup system according to claim 1, wherein said display device is so shaped as to be worn by the user on the head.

4. An image pickup system according to claim 1, wherein said commander and said video camera are separate entities.

5. An image pickup system according to claim 1, wherein said video camera, said display device and said commander are separate entities.

6. An image pickup system according to claim 5, wherein a signal transmission is performed by a wireless transmission system between said transmitting means of said commander and said receiving means of said video camera, and between said transmitting means of said video camera and said receiving means of said display device.

7. An image pickup system according to claim 1, wherein said image information storing means stores a plurality of kinds of image information constituting a graphic user interface capability.

8. An image pickup system according to claim 7, wherein, in accordance with the operation mode set by said operation mode setting switch, said controlling means controls said display-ready video signal generating means to generate said display-ready video signal by use of different kinds of image information read from said image information storing means and said image pickup signal obtained by said image pickup means.

9. An image pickup system according to claim 7, wherein said display-ready video signal generating means generates a pointer constituting part of said graphic user interface capability on the basis of said image information.

10. An image pickup system according to claim 9, wherein said controlling means moves said pointer within a frame on the basis of the signal received by said receiving means of said video camera.

11. An image pickup system according to claim 9, wherein said commander includes moving state detecting means for detecting self-movements of the commander brought about by the user, and wherein said command information generating means of said commander generates command information based on the movements detected by said moving state detecting means.

12. An image pickup system according to claim 10, wherein, upon receipt of a signal including a predetermined command transmitted from said commander, said controlling means moves said pointer only unidirectionally on the basis of the transmitted signal.

13. An image pickup system according to claim 1, further comprising holding means for movably holding said video camera.

14. An image pickup system according to claim 13, wherein said controlling means of said video camera moves said video camera by controlling said holding means on the basis of the command information from said commander.

15. An image pickup system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of operation modes include an image pickup mode in which said image pickup means picks up those images of an object which are recorded as image pickup signals to said recording means, and an edit mode in which the image pickup signals recorded earlier to said recording medium in said image pickup mode are edited.

16. An image pickup system according to claim 15, wherein said image pickup mode includes a standby mode in which images based on the image pickup signals obtained by said image pickup means are displayed on said displaying means but in which said image pickup signals are not recorded to said recording medium, and a recording mode in which the images based on said image pickup signals obtained by said image pickup means are displayed on said displaying means and in which said image pickup signals are recorded to said recording medium.

17. An image pickup system according to claim 1, wherein, in accordance with each of said plurality of operation modes, said controlling means accepts a specific part of the information received by said receiving means and ignores the remainder of the received information.

18. An image pickup system according to claim 1, wherein said display device includes a microphone for generating an audio signal and transmitting means for transmitting said audio signal.

19. An image pickup system according to claim 1, wherein said recording medium is a disk-type storage medium.

20. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

image pickup means for obtaining an image pickup signal by imaging an object;

receiving means for receiving a signal which is supplied from an external device and which includes command information;

recording and reproducing means for recording and reproducing said image pickup signal to and from a recording medium;

image information storing means for storing a plurality of kinds of image information;

display-ready video signal generating means for generating a display-ready video signal based on the image pickup signal reproduced from said recording medium by said recording and reproducing means and said image information;

transmitting means for transmitting said display-ready video signal;

controlling means for controlling said image pickup means, said recording and reproducing means and said display-ready video signal generating means in accordance with any one of a plurality of operation modes; and

an operation mode setting switch for setting one of said plurality of operation modes.

21. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said receiving means receives the signal transmitted over a wireless transmission line.

22. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said image information storing means stores a plurality of kinds of image information constituting a graphic user interface capability.

23. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 20, wherein, in accordance with the operation mode set by said operation mode setting switch, said controlling means controls said display-ready video signal generating means to generate said display-ready video signal by use of different kinds of image information read from said image information storing means as well as said image pickup signal obtained by said image pickup means.

24. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said display-ready video signal generating means generates a pointer constituting part of said graphic user interface capability on the basis of said image information.

25. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said controlling means moves said pointer within a frame on the basis of the signal received by said receiving means.

26. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 25, wherein, after said receiving means has received a signal including a predetermined command transmitted from said external device, said controlling means moves said pointer only unidirectionally on the basis of the transmitted signal.

27. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said plurality of operation modes include an image pickup mode in which said image pickup means picks up those images of an object which are recorded as image pickup signals to said recording means, and an edit mode in which the image pickup signals recorded earlier to said recording medium in said image pickup mode are edited.

28. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said image pickup mode includes a standby mode in which images based on the image pickup signals obtained by said image pickup means are displayed on said displaying means but in which said image pickup signals are not recorded to said recording medium, and a recording mode in which the images based on said image pickup signals obtained by said image pickup means are displayed on said displaying means and in which said image pickup signals are recorded to said recording medium.

29. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 20, wherein, in accordance with each of said plurality of operation modes, said controlling means accepts a specific part of the information received by said receiving means and ignores the remainder of the received information.

30. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said recording medium is a disk-type storage medium.

31. A controller using a graphic user interface, comprising:

pointer displaying means for displaying a pointer on a screen;

movement command receiving means for receiving a movement command for moving said pointer, said movement command including first and second movement designating information, said first movement designating information designating a movement in a first direction, said second movement designating information designating a movement in a second direction perpendicular to said first direction;

operation area displaying means for displaying a first and a second operation area, said first operation area being positioned close to one edge of said screen, said second operation area being located elsewhere on said screen and arranged to transfer control between a first and a second state regarding said first operation area;

enter command receiving means for receiving an enter command;

enter controlling means for providing controls corresponding to the position in which said pointer is displayed when said enter command is received by said enter command receiving means; and

pointer movement controlling means for moving said pointer in said first state on the basis of said first and said second movement designating information, said pointer movement controlling means further moving said pointer in said second state on the basis of only one of said first or said second movement designating information.

32. A controller according to claim 31, wherein said movement command receiving means receives said movement command transmitted over a wireless transmission line.

33. A controller according to claim 31, further comprising intra-area controlling means for providing different controls in a plurality of sub-areas inside said first operation area when said pointer is moved in said first area in said second state.